WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Sens. Angus King and Steve Daines introduced the bipartisan America the Beautiful Act, which would reauthorize the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) and increase its funding. The LRF, first authorized in the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act, needs renewal to continue its work addressing the public lands maintenance backlog.
In response, Jackie Ostfeld, Sierra Club Outdoors for All campaign director, said:
WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, volunteers from the AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps were told they would be discharged from their service early as part of DOGE efforts to slash the federal workforce.
WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, the Interior Department issued an order to ensure that all national parks and historic sites remain open and accessible to the public.
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, the White House announced an executive order demanding the Secretary of the Interior review and reinstate public monuments, statues, and memorials that were previously removed or updated to reflect a more inclusive and accurate accounting of history. The order also bans any monuments and other markers that might criticize colonial figures.
The Interior Department terminated six committees, including the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names, which was established to support efforts to rename federal geographic features or places with racist, offensive and derogatory names.
WASHINGTON, DC – As a result of Donald Trump’s broad executive orders restricting the language that federal agencies are allowed to use, the National Park Service has removed references to transgender and queer people from their webpages, including the one on the Stonewall National Monument. Other pages referencing the queer community have shortened LGBTQ+ to LGB. Other federal agencies are also removing references to women pioneers and contributors on their webpages.
This week, President Trump’s first actions in office included mandates to rescind executive orders from Presidents Biden and Clinton that established or supported programs seeking to expand access to nature and the outdoors for disadvantaged communities.
Yesterday, President Biden signed the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act into law. Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous releases the following statement.
The Department of Interior announced that over the next five years the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program will provide $450 million in grants to communities to create or improve local parks.
The Department of the Interior announced today $254.68 million in grants to communities through the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program.
Senators Martin Heinrich and John Boozman today introduced the Every Kid Outdoors Extension Act. The Every Kid Outdoors program, which began in 2015, grants all fourth graders free access to federal public lands, waters, and shores.
Beginning September, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) is launching its Every Kid Outdoors Month of Action. From September 3 to October 5, OAK members are organizing a range of events and actions to spread awareness and advocate for the Every Kid Outdoors program.